This invention relates to an ashtray device built into a panel, for example, into the dashboard of an automobile.
The ashtray devices installed near the driver's seat in cars have been improved in various minor ways, but the basic design that requires the ashtray to be manually pulled out at the time of use still persists. For drivers, the act of pulling out an ashtray while driving is fairly dangerous. While pulling out the ashtray, the driver is, of course, required to retain a hold on the steering wheel. More often than not, the driver keeps his burning cigarette between the fingers of the hand being used to pull out the ashtray. Not infrequently, ashes fall off the burning cigarette onto the floor as when the burning end of the cigarette is inadvertently hit against the front plate of the ashtray before the ashtray is pulled out. If a part of the burning portion at the tip of the cigarette happens to fall together with ashes, the floor carpet of the car may start to burn. The driver therefore has to look to see where the ashes have fallen and in doing so he takes his eyes off the road.
While the interiors of automobiles are increasingly luxurious, the ashtrays alone have remained little changed. From the standpoint of design and function, the conventional drawer type ashtrays have poor commercial value.